fruit and cheese

not too long ago, i hosted a wine and cheese party.  i offered the guests several selections of fruit and cheese along with a variety of crackers, toasts, and other types of small breads.

here are a couple of serving ideas for mixing cheese and fruit.  this tray offered Havarti with dill and Jarlsberg cheese with grapes, blackberries, and seckle pears as tray accents.  the pears could be also sliced for serving.  these smaller pears are sweet and delicious. they are almost bite-sized and very juicy.

another platter had champagne cheddar and raspberries.  the combination of fruit and cheese has been a standard for many years, and of course, with the addition of wine, the parings are suburb.

here is a photo of one of the tables during the set up process.  this cheese offering features cheddar with melon and cranberry relish.  one of the cracker trays is also featured in this photograph.

another plate offered gouda with almonds, olives and nut bread. 
i have found that a successful wine and cheese party offers many choices, and if the cheeses are paired with other familiar fruits or savory tastes, guests enjoy combining the flavors and trying new selections.